Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-16

The present year will pass down to |
history as the year of railway horrors.
The record in this regard exceeds that of
the five previous years combined. On
January 4 the Baltimore & Ohio fast
train. bound from New York to Chicago
with five coaches and baggage car. had
just passed Republic. Ohio, at lightning
speed, when it dashed into freight train
which had come to a standstill on the
track. About twenty-five persons lost
their lives and as many more were
wounded.
During the night of Feb, 5, the express
train on the Central Vermont road. which
had left Boston at O'Clock that evening,
was making up for lost time, and when il
reached the White River bridge, near
Woodstock, VI, it was precipitated fifty
feet to the river below. the usual fire
broke ont, and the death rate reached
forty souls. Those injured numbered
thirty.
The next serious accident occurred on
the Dedham branch of the Boston &
Providence road, between Forest Hill and
Roslindale A train of seven cars
plunged through what is known as the
Bussey Park bridge, on March IA. Thir
ty five deaths resulted the most of which
were women. Seventy were wounded,
i've of whom died afterwards, running
the death rate up to forty.
SO far as the record of past railway
bGrrors give any account. there has been
but one accident in which the deaths ex-
ceeded those of last Wednesdays horror.
and that was one which occurred June "a,
1881, on the Norelis railway in Mexico.
when train fell through bridge near
Guerilla on the San Antonio river On
this occasion, over two hundred lives
were lost.
Following is list of railway disas-
tiers in which the losses of life were very
large:
July II, 1S56-A passenger train on
the Northern Pennsylvania road collided
with freight train near Campbell, killing
eleven people.
June go, 1S64-A passenger train rau
off bridge near St Hilaire, Canada
Eighty>three were killed and two huns
dred wounded.
~ II lSuC ~ Vail MUIR pu tlS
Erie road, a passenger train rolled down
an embankment into the Delaware river.
Deaths twenty six, and the wounded
numbered fiftg>two
March II, lS70-On this day occurred
the New Hamburg horror. A train con-
sisting of oil tank cars left Jersey City.
When it reached the bridge which SPAWNED
New Hamburg creek, New York,
several of the cars jumped the
| track and across the opposite or down
| track. Just then the Albany express
came into view, and before it could be
stopped it dashed into the oil tanks
Several of these exploded, throwing burn
| ing oil all over the cars, and to add TO thu
horror the weight of the two trains lei
the bridge into the creek. Everything
that went down broke through the ice oi
the creek, and those who had any chance
for escape previously lost it. The death,
| were sixty and the wounded twice thu
number.
Aug. is, 1S71-Collision at Revere OF
the Eastern road between Boston anC
Portland. Twenty killed.
June 90, 1S72-Collision and explosion
of locomotive boiler on the Grand Trunl
road, near Beleville, Canada. THIRTY
were killed by being crushed and scalded
Dec. %, 1S72-At Cory, Pa, pas
senger train plunged through bridge
Twenty deaths,
Dec. %, 1S76-In the midst of blind
ing snow storm. the Pacific express iron
New York on the Lake Shore road
plunged through bridge which crossed
Asbtabula creek, One hundred wer
killed, including P. P Bliss, the note
evangelist
Dec. %, 1S79-A passenger tram wa
blown off the Tay bridge into the rive
at Dundee, Scotland. Seventy-fo live
were lost.